Clamping device.



LA-LJOHNSON- 4 GLAMPING'DEVIGE. I

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 21, 1911.

1,021,986. Patented Apr. ,1912.

- 105291 55613: fzvnim? UNITED STATES JOHN A. JOHNSON, OF NEW BRITAIN,CONNECTICUT.

cLAMPINe DEVICE,

Specification of Letters Patent.

, Patented Apr. 2, 1912.

Application filed August 21, 1911. Serial No. 645,155.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN A. J oHNsoN, a

citizen of the United States, residing at New Britain, in the county ofHartford and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Clamping Devices, of which the following is aspecification. V This invention relates to clamping devices. A clampingdevice involving my invention can be employed with advantage in a greatmany different connections, for'example for clamping a rope, a belt, acableor something of an equivalent nature.

The object of the invention is to provide a simple and effective articleof this character by which a rope or like object can be substantiallyand solidly held when desired but which when required can be easily andquickly released and said device is shown in the accompanying drawingsformingpart of the present specification.

Referring to said drawings. Figure 1 is a perspectiveview of a clampingdevice involving my invention showing the same in its released position.Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the clamp in a locking posi-- tion.Fig. 3 is a like view showing one way of operating the clamp to free arope or equivalent part.

Like characters refer to like partsthroughout the several figures of thedrawings.

The device preferably involves in its make-up a channeled body which canbe made in several ways, for instance by stamping fromsheet metal,casting or otherwise. The rope or other object to be clamped fitsbetween the side walls or flanges of the body, and when held immovableis adapted to be pressed against the bottom of said body. A body such assatisfactorily answers my requirements is that denoted in a general wayby 5. Preferably the side walls or flanges of the body have inclinedways which can be conveniently secured by forming slots as 6 in the sidewalls or flanges of said body 5, said slots being elongated in thedirection of the length of the body and as shown extending at a forwarddownward inclination. These slots are adapted to receive a looking orclam ing member which consists of an approximately rectangular loop 7.This inner cross bar of said loop extends through the two slots andacross the body member 5. When the said inner cross bar of said loop isat the rear ends of the transverse member of the loop is at the forwardportion of the slots as indicated in .Fig. 2, said inner cross bar willmost firmly press the rope against the bottom of the body 5 and thestronger the pull or strain upon the rope toward the left in Fig. 2, thegreater will be the locking effect, the action being a wedge one as isevident owing to the disposition of the two slots. During the back andforth motion of this loop the side bars thereof will be in proximity orcontiguous to the outer faces of the side walls or flanges of the body5.

The locking member 7 is in the form of a loop, the front cross barthereof constituting locking means and the rear cross bar, detent meansas will hereinafter ap-. pear. The locking member, therefore, has adetent portion for engaging a part of the body to hold the inner crossbar or active portion of the loop 7 in its inoperative position asindicated in said Fig. 1..

Oneof the principal points is to provide a rope locking member withmeans for holding said rope locking member in its inoperative positionso that the rope can be freely inoved when desired either for tighteningup or for paying off the same. The outer cross bar or transverse portionof the loop or locking member 7 holds said locking member in itsinoperative position as will be understood by engaging the rear portionof the body member 5. The rope passes through this locking member orloop 7 in view of which fact said locking member can by grasping thefree portion of the rope be moved from releasing position shown in Fig.2 to locking position illustrated in Fig.1.

The body member 5 may as shown in Fig. 1 be provided with a second loop8 swiveled thereto and through which the end portion of a rope or thelike can be passed and then knotted to prevent its accidentalwithdrawal. To tighten the rope the latter will be grasped at the rightof the body member 5 at which time the rope will be doubled or bent onitself and tightened. The loop 7 will then be swung up out of engagementwith the rear part of the body member 5 so that the pull on the rope inthe act of tightening the same will draw the loop or like member 7forward and consequently cause the inner cross bar or working portion ofsaid loop to bind the rope firmly and tightly against the bottom of thebody portion 5 and as already indicated the greater the pull on therope, the greater will be the locking eifect.

The body portion 5 is shown provided at its forward end with a fingerpiece 9 which is usually but not necessarily made integral therewith.This provides an effective means for facilitating the freeing of theclamp from the rope, a finger or the thumb being introduced into thespace between said finger piece 9 and the rope. To aid this action saidfinger piece is preferably made curved. When the rope has been tightenedand it becomes necessary to free the same, the finger piece 9 will bepulled downward as shown in Fig. 3, the pull initially disengaging theinner transverse port-ion or the cross bar of the loop 7 from the rope,and as the finger piece 9 is pulled. downward and the rope pulled towardthe left, the said inner cross bar is caused positively or automaticallyto move rearward in the two slots 6, and when the end of the slots isreached by said cross bar the loop 7 of which said cross bar forms apart swings rearward over the back of the body 5 as shown in Fig. 3.

What I claim is:

A clamping device of the class described comprising a channel-like body,the side walls of which have slots inclined in a forward, downwarddirection, and a substantially rectangular loop adapted for the passagetherethrough of an object to be clamped, the inner cross bar of saidloop being adapted to traverse said slots and also to lock said objectagainst the bottom of said channel-like body when at the forward portionof said slots, being adapted to release said object when at the rearportion of said slots, the sides of said loop being in proximity to theouter side faces of said bodyduring the back and forth movement of saidcross bar and the rear cross bar of the loop being adapted to swingbehind the back of the body from the upper side thereof to hold saidinner cross bar in its object releasing position.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN A. JOHNSON.

Witnesses:

HEATH SUTHERLAND, L. L. MARKEL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G.

